Newfoundland and Labrador: Photo contest to help raise money for land conservation

The Norwester

Published: Oct 03, 2017 at midnight

Updated: Oct 10, 2017 at 1:09 a.m.

Here's an aerial view of the latest property to become part of the areas protected by the Nature Conservancy of Canada in the Codroy Valley region of southwestern Newfoundland.

A national land conservation group is looking to combine Canadians’ love of nature with their love of photography and their love of Canada for a worthwhile cause.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is launching Places Worth Protecting — a national online photo contest showcasing beautiful places across the country.

For every photo Canadians share of the natural places they love, TELUS will donate $5 to help NCC conserve land across Canada.

Photos shared on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #PlacesWorthProtecting, will automatically be added to an interactive map on the Places Worth Protecting website —placesworthprotecting.ca.

“We encourage folks to take advantage of this fantastic time of year, get out and explore the natural spaces they care about and share that inspiration with all Canadians,” NCC president and chief executive officer John Lounds said.

In this province, the NCC has helped conserve 5,261 hectares (13,000 acres) of land, including many habitats on the Avalon Peninsula and the Southwest Coast, including in Maddox Cove, along the Salmonier River, in the Codroy Valley Area and on Sandy Point.

“We hope Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will enter this fun contest by taking photos of some of NCC’s nature reserves or of their own favourite spots in nature,” said NCC NL program director, said Lanna Campbell, who said they currently are working to conserve a special habitat at Barachois Brook, near Stephenville.

In addition to the contest, the Places Worth Protecting website highlights ways Canadians can use technology to learn more about nature, such as downloadable apps that help identify species, online field journals and live cameras that permit virtual visits to NCC conservation areas. The website also provides a closer look at how NCC uses technology to conserve land across the country — from drones to apps and communication systems.

Each photo submission will also be entered to win a prize. The contest runs until Nov. 30.

The winning prize is an essential phone from TELUS, which features a dual-camera system ideal for capturing nature.